Many interesting exchanges here on what to do/how to control laxness on
compliance issues in general and specifically the recovery of personal
dosimeters etc. Let me chime in here with what we do at the Univ of North
Tx keeping in mind that I am talking a relatively small scale operation
involving tens of labs/users as oppossed to hundreds of labs/users at
other institutions, so we are small time by comparison; but in principle I
offer this as food for thought. In our case all purchases for new
radioactive materials must cross the Radiation Safety Officers(my) desk
for approval prior to being sent to the appropriate purchasing agent. If
any one user is not in compliance in any way then the order is held
without approval until all compliance issues are settled, and this
includes outstanding dosimeters, Quarterly reports, return of RAM receipt
forms showing results of swipe tests etc. Let me assure one and all, with
this policy in place and exercised, all outstanding issues then receive
immediate attention. We also have lock out authority on machines in that
we can and do put combination locks on circuit breakers for X-ray machines
and accelerators if non-complaince in any way is an issue. This gets
results in that cooperation between the Radsafe Office and PI's is at
an all time high around here, and we have total support from our
administation.
With larger programs I realize that principle and practice may not readily
merge and allow for similiar controls involving the interdiction of
purchase orders for new radioactive materials, especially in
hospital/medical center environments especially where patients are
invloved with diagnostics/therapy becoming issues. But still, if an RSO
could exercise control over the acquisuition of new materials at any level
including being permitted to inform purchasing agents that group XXXX is
not to be approved for new orders of YYY materials until further notice OR
the threat thereof, I can assure you that attention to compliance becomes
highly sensitized. In our case, albeit small change by comparison to some
programs, this is a powerful tool to correct issues of non-compliance,
with all necessary exceptions in place of course. The key is of course,
that in the general PO flow of things, there are throttle points that
could be controlled by the RSO IF in fact the administration backs the
radiation safety program at any given instituon, no matter how large the
program may be.
Whatta ya'all think ????
Thomas(Tom) G. Harrison, Ph.D.
RSO
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
e-mail: tomh@jove.acs.unt.edu
tomh@facstaff.cas.unt.edu
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